UK Medium Wave and Long Wave Transmitter Closures.

[Julesomega]

Correction to post #159: 252kHz carries Chaine III

[Jolly 7]

Along with French and other languages, Radio Algeria International has English language broadcasts on mediumwave. I don't exactly remember if it was on 531 or 549 kHz. In the past both of these Algerian frequencies seemed to have the same content, but now they appear to have diverged. Both frequencies also appear to be weaker as of late.

Speaking of North African stations, Tunisia can also be heard on 630 kHz. However, I am not aware that they broadcast in English or any language except Arabic.

[Julesomega]

Since yesterday some Bauer MW tx are carrying closure announcements instead of programmes, including on 1152 and 1548 in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Sheffield. Nothing local to me yet, but have a quick tune across the band and see if anything local to you is closing.

[stitch1]

Originally Posted by Julesomega

Since yesterday some Bauer MW tx are carrying closure announcements instead of programmes, including on 1152 and 1548 in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Sheffield. Nothing local to me yet, but have a quick tune across the band and see if anything local to you is closing.

Yes Greatest Hits Radio North East now has a MW closure announcement.

John

[G6Tanuki]

Currently hearing the Edinburgh/Glasgow closedown broadcasts on 1550-ish KHz down here in Wiltshire, using a RACAL RA217 and 100-foot longwire antenna.

Part of me feels I should be recording this and sticking the resultant MP3 files up on YouTube or somewhere else to preserve them for posteriority.

[Joe_Lorenz]

Originally Posted by G6Tanuki

Part of me feels I should be recording this and sticking the resultant MP3 files up on YouTube or somewhere else to preserve them for posteriority.

Sadly we know soon there will be the final moment. Recording that announcement is all what you can do. No bad idea to upload MP3s!

Joe

[G6Tanuki]

Heard the Scottish closedown announcements on 1152KHz today while idly tuning around on my AR88; will try and get some recordings via a laptop over the next couple of days.

[radioman]

Around here, 1035kHz is still going this morning but it's demise is imminent so it'll be gone within the next 48hrs.

Andy

[radioman]

Well, the transmission on 1035kHz was unceremoniously switched off at 12:00 today. I had been listening to Ken Bruce since 10:00am so only heard two-thirds of his programme !
The carrier just disappeared - no messages to retune or anything, Bauer must be desperate to save on their electricity bill...

Andy

[PJC58-Hythe]

I discovered the attached document. It's an interesting read and is very recent having been updated on November 13th this year.

[G6Tanuki]

That's an interesting paper. The one thing I find intriguing about it though is that it has almost zero mention of ''listening to radio" by way of streaming services [whether using broadband to some appliance like an Amazon Echo or an Alexa or the Apple Siri-thing, or using 4G/5G data services to a phone-app].

Plenty of people I know 'listen to the radio' in the car by way of a phone and Bluetooth. Equally, Alexa and her sisters are probably used by around half my friends-group for domestic background listening.

"Radio" doesn't have to mean broadcasting.

[lightning]

Reading the report above, what comes over to me is they've talked themselves into believing AM radio is dead.

Of course there will be a decline in listeners as the transmitters are turned off. l've got a surprising amount of customers who still listen to AM, or l did have until it was no longer possible.

Don't ask me why this is the case, some of it is due to the poor reception on FM particularly when out in the hills.

We were in the Lake District in the Summer and had to resort to AM a few times due to poor FM coverage and non-existent DAB.
Also it was not possible to stream due to the lack of mobile coverage.

[music-centre]

Rather a self-fulfilling prophesy that hardly any listeners will be using AM with the amount of transmitters shut down in recent months?? I had always listened to Gold London In the main which has disappeared in recent months leaving me (and sure I wasn’t the only one) unable to hear all their adverts! and no practical alternative medium to hear it.

[Julesomega]

I thought Poland must surely be ready to close the 225kHz service from Solec Kujawski any time soon, but it seems that it will remain in service for the benefit of several infrastructure operators. It has this month added digital data modulation to complement DCF77 on 77.5kHz which does not have good coverage in the East of Poland, so it looks as though the programme transmission will be funded by the untiliy companies
Ydun's MW Blog

[shaundawson]

Originally Posted by radioman

Well, the transmission on 1035kHz was unceremoniously switched off at 12:00 today. I had been listening to Ken Bruce since 10:00am so only heard two-thirds of his programme !
The carrier just disappeared - no messages to retune or anything, Bauer must be desperate to save on their electricity bill...

Andy

Last song transmitter played out before the 12pm news was "East 17" "Stay another day" Ironic in a way, transmitter couldn't stay another day, according to Greatest Hits Radio catchup service (available on their mobile app.) Wish I had a recording of the actual off air... I was one of the primary 6 class that sung as a choir on "Mystical Waters" a composition that my teacher came up with, Miss Donnelly, and became the theme tune that played out first thing in the morning and the end of the night on West Sound way back at the start...

[shaundawson]

Found this retune loop for 1548kHz Edinburgh, credit to Steve Whitt

https://vocaroo.com/1a1DBSE9PBvD

https://mediumwave.info/category/closed-or-inactive/page/2/

[FERNSEH]

Here on Tyneside we now have only three receivable Medium Waveband transmitters. TalkSport, BBC Radio Five Live and Radio Four on 503 meters.
Greatest Hits on 261M recently closed down.

Wasn't so long ago we had seven Medium Waveband Stations.

DFWB.

[Cruisin Marine]

I am a great AM lover, and can only see this going one way. That is that it will only available via pay for services in the future. How sad that will be.

[Jolly 7]

Originally Posted by shaundawson

Found this retune loop for 1548kHz Edinburgh, credit to Steve Whitt

https://vocaroo.com/1a1DBSE9PBvD

https://mediumwave.info/category/closed-or-inactive/page/2/

That's such a shame. I DXed this station only a couple of weeks ago.

[Catkins]

Saw this today - Sunshine Radio granted permission to turn off AM frequency